Nearing the Halfway Mark!
Hi, everyone! Thanks for sticking with this countdown! We're almost halfway through! As a recap, you can find previous entries here:
And remember, only one game per franchise! Now, let's get on with it!
60. Conker's Bad Fur Day - Nintendo 64
Oh, to be 16 and think that the funniest things ever were poop and fart jokes. Who am I kidding? I still think they are! But when you strip away all of the potty humor, foul language, and shock value, you still get one of the greatest platformers on the Nintendo 64! Levels with unique gameplay and some of the GREATEST MULTIPLAYER MODES of all time (storming the beaches of Normandy as a refugee squirrel? That's awesome!) elevate Conker's Bad Fur Day from being a one note joke of a game, to one that people still talk about to this day.
59. Halo - Xbox
When the original Xbox first launched, they touted Halo as THE KILLER APP for the system. And you know what? They were right. Even now, Microsoft is still trying to duplicate the success of the first entry into the franchise that MADE the Xbox. Sure, the campaign's level design was a little lame (fight your way here, then fight your way out the same way), but that didn't matter! A fully cooperative campaign with quick, visceral tactical first person shooter gameplay and the most impressive visuals 2001 had to offer? Add in unheard of console multiplayer features like vehicle combat and LAN capabilities, and you have something incredibly special that holds up to this day. There's a reason places still hold Halo tournaments.
58. The Curse of Monkey Island - PC
Oh, Guybrush Threepwood... Will you ever learn? Some of the best writing in ANY GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED came from The Curse of Monkey Island. The third entry in the Monkey Island series sees semi-hero Guybrush Threepwood take on zombie pirate captain LeChuck in order to change his lady love Elaine from solid gold to flesh and blood again. The animation, the humor, the puzzles, all top notch. There have been more entries into the series since, but The Curse of Monkey Island holds true as the greatest in the series, and one of the greatest point and click adventure games of all time.
57. Animal Crossing: City Folk - Wii
Sometimes you don't want to save the world. Sometimes, you just want to relax, plant some trees and flowers, fish, and collect seashells. That's what Animal Crossing: City Folk does so well. This is a palette cleanser for gamers. The only problem is that the gameplay of this palette cleanser is SO GOOD that it becomes addicting. City Folk takes the life simulation gameplay of the original and adds in the ability to visit a whole new area with new shops and things to do, in addition to online capabilities. This was really a toss up for me between City Folk and A New Leaf, and it really could go either way. But whichever Animal Crossing you play, one thing remains a constant: Tom Nook is a #@$% evil %$#!
56. Mega Man 9 - Multi
BRING ON THE HATE! Yeah, yeah, I bet you weren't expecting to see this one on here. Let me guess, "THAT SPOT SHOULD GO TO MEGA MAN 2!" Well, you know what? Y'all are looking on Mega Man 2 with some rose colored glasses. Mega Man 9 does EVERYTHING that Mega Man 2 does, but without the screen lag, without the sprites flickering in and out of existence, and has superior, yes, you heard me, SUPERIOR level design and boss battles in every way. Add in additional challenges such as time attack that simply did not exist in prior entries and you have the definitive Mega Man game. It just took them 30 years to make it...
55. River City Ransom - NES
So, I have a soft spot for side scrolling beat 'em ups (as you're about to see) with RPG elements, and it all started with this game. River City Ransom did what everyone wanted from games like Double Dragon. It let you get BETTER. You beat up bad guys with weapons, and each other incidentally, but more importantly, you got to explore and buy things, and train, and improve your character. Sure, it only lasted until you turned the power off, but who cares?!? It was great! Funny enough, this may be one of the first open world games ever made, even though people may not think of it as such.
54. Castle Crashers - Multi
Aaaand what River City Ransom did, Castle Crashers did even better. This silly little $15 indie game was better made and more fun than many $60 games! With a (semi) engaging story, an insane amount of playable characters, branching paths, and fantastic art design and offering quick gameplay and satisfying progression, not to mention 4 player multiplayer, Castle Crashers does beat 'em ups the way they should be done.
53. Dragon's Crown - PS3/Vita
Aaaand what Castle Crashers did, Dragon's Crown MASTERED. With a class system ripped straight out of Gary Gygax's brain, Dragon's Crown let you choose your class, customize it, find new weapons, learn new abilities, and slay some evil! This game has it all, branching paths, side quests, unique attacks for each class, hell, it even has a tavern, where you can hire computer controlled players if you have no friends to adventure with you! This is it. This is the pinnacle of RPG beat 'em ups. I mean, come on! Just look at those... er... um... ASSETS.
52. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Multi
I remember when Tony Hawk was cool, and not just like that dad who's still trying to be... That's kind of how the Tony Hawk games are, too, with them becoming something of a joke nowadays, but when they first came out, they were a revelation. Hours of challenges, exploration, and linking insane tricks together in order to unlock that last special character or board. And at the top of the Tony Hawk mountain, is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. The best of the franchise, the levels are large, challenging, and being able to unlock Spider-Man is just the coolest.
51. Diablo 3 - Multi
Stay awhile, and listen! Or... READ as it were. Diablo 3 is the best of the franchise. With a story that actually DOES make you want to stay awhile and listen, and simplified gameplay that is unique to each different class, Diablo 3 reaches pinnacles that the previous games in the series simply don't match. Not to mention the franchise's jump to three dimensions is handled with such grace that it's sometimes hard to remember the 2D entries (though occasional in game events do their best to remind us). There's just something so satisfying about killing tons of monsters, grabbing lots of loot, selling that loot, crafting even BETTER LOOT, rinse, repeat...
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